Oh baby! Have we got a lot to share about dogs and babies. This blog is written by Certified Professional Dog Trainer Jenn Merritt and her dog Royal. Jenn specializes in helping expectant pet parents and pet parents with new babies adapt to life with their dogs. Royal specializes in squirrel investigation, attempted motorcycle herding, and sleeping belly up.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Fireworks!? It's Thundershirt time!

It's that time of year-when people like explosions and loud noises. Not such a great time for animals that are sensitive to sound or afraid of really loud sounds. But I'm happy to say that I'll have my Thundershirt on tonight, which always makes me more comfortable when I hear loud noises. It also helps me when I feel storms coming with thunder and lightening. Jenn makes sure to get my Thundershirt on before the noises begin, or before the barometric pressure changes. That way, I don't panic.Jenn has a Thundershirt on hand for Jet too, in case she starts to get nervous too. I've outlined some tips for you to help your puppy have an uneventful holiday celebration:

1. Please don't take your puppy to a fireworks display. This may sound like fun and a possible socialization experience, but it can be terribly scary and overwhelming for a puppy. And don't take your puppy to the fireworks display and leave them in the car.

2. Leave your puppy safely inside at home (not out in the yard) with some nice music turned up the drown out the pops and bangs. Many dogs panic during fireworks or storms, which can make them want to escape the noise and run away, bolting out of their yard. Make sure your dog is wearing their ID tag just in case.

3. Do not allow your children near your dog when they are using sparklers or any sort of popping explosive, not matter how safe you think it is. Dogs can be hurt by the flying sparks or just plain scared out of our wits.

4. Give your puppy some special things to chew or a stuffed Kong toy to keep them occupied while the fireworks go off.

5. Relax. Don't feed your puppy's fears by trying to comfort them. Try using the Thundershirt body wrap instead of coddling, which can have a calming, settling effect on many dogs with noise related anxieties. Check out this page for more on using the Thundershirt for noise anxiety.